Energy Use

For 24 hours I had to unplug from energy usage as much as possible for my Environmental Science class. I picked to do this on memorial day. One thing I realized is a good way to save energy is to get out. Why do I need to be inside all the time with all my electronics on all at once when I could spend time outside? One thing we did use was the bbq, which was gas, so that used some energy, whether or not charcoal would be better that gas for the environment though I am not so sure yet. Another thing I realized was that in the middle of the day when it is perfectly bright, why do I turn all my lights on instead of just opening the blinds and windows and letting natural light in. This saves energy. My roommate and I are already pretty good at keeping things unplugged from the wall so that was easy to keep up with, we don't keep our microwave, toaster, coffee pot, or hair dryers plugged in when they are not being used. One thing I did forget though was to unplug the tv. I already currently try to use my windows to bring in cool air if possible. Unfortunately it was very hot on Monday and I did end up turning on the air conditioner for a short amount of time. One thing that would help is if my apartments had better windows and sliding doors that would keep the cool in, the windows and doors are pretty outdated in that department. I didn't really drive that day. I consciously decided not to even though I forgot to pick up some things. So I called someone and asked them to bring the stuff instead to save driving time. The changes were pretty reasonable. It did make me think about wasting energy. I really could live with those changes like opening the windows and doors more for air flow and light. One thing I didn't do and could not really see myself doing is hanging up my clothes to dry. I usually do my laundry late at night and it would not be convenient not to mention we have some problems with theft in our area. I will however try my best to not waste when i do my laundry and to make sure to do full loads. We do have energy efficient appliances. I could also manage to take shorter showers and cut back on taking baths.

Climate Change

For my Environmental Science class we have been asked to research a little bit about climate change. According to EPA the climate is changing and has risen 1.4F over the past century. This is resulting in sever global weather changes. The large release of carbon dioxide and green house gases by humans is the biggest player in this climate change. Climate change can affect everything from rainfall to human health and that's why it is important that we preserve our environment. Climate change also can effect species like the polar bear, which we learned in class, and agriculture. Skeptics think that global warming is a product of political agenda a desire to raise taxes. They also say that the globe has always went through climate change and it cant be proven that human impact is the source of this. If this were to continue in 50 years, it seems that there would be a lot more natural disasters and erosion. If there is more erosion then that can cause damage to many coastal homes and possibly some harm to citizens. Also there would be possibly drought and a fight to survive on the water we have.

Amy's Farm

I went on a field trip to Amy's Farm with my environmental science class. It was a very great experience. We first walked through the herb garden and they told us about their Turkey share program. After that we visited the chickens and pigs. He then told us about the heirloom tomato's they recently started growing. We then visited three very large steers that are apart of their steer share program. After that we visited two cows, one was a jersey cow and one was a regular cow. He explained to us about the way cows are meant to eat wheat and grains and how this makes the milk more pure and safe to drink and makes the cow more healthy. We then took a walk through some of the produce. We tried some broccoli and it was the most delicious broccoli I have ever tasted. We then saw the composts which they consider the lifeblood of the farm. They explained that they use a type of farming that puts nutrients back into the soil to help keep the soil useable unlike the current industrial farming methods of farming only one crop on one piece of land over and over again. We then saw some animal and went to the produce store. They told us that we could go and volunteer as well which sounds really fun.

The movie Tapped

I watched the movie tapped for my Environmental Science class. It was a real eye opener to the reality behind bottled water. It started off with the harsh reality of how much of our earths water is drinkable. Out of the 75% or more of the earth covered in water, only 1% of that water is drinkable. That's crazy! On top of that we act and believe that this resource will be here forever. In Maine they had a conflict with Nestle who came in an began pumping the cities municipal water. Municipal water is the water used or tap water. Nestle was pumping the cities water and then selling it back in plastic water bottles for profit while the city underwent a drought for a few days, leaving the citizens and nursing homes importing water. This system seems to be a system on profit and not the citizens well being. Not only that but the production of water bottles themselves are leading to major health problems to those who live near the plants. It also has some major effects on the ones drinking from the bottles. Out of the whole FDA they have one person overseeing the quality of bottled water, and the person who submits the reports and does the testing on the water is the company itself. How does this seem fair? Unlike the plastic bottle industry, the municipal water gets extra precautions. Per amount of people living in the city, the municipal water company must check the water a certain amount of times a month to make sure that water is not contaminated for its people. We wouldn't know this though with the false media we are fed that municipal water is dangerous and unsanitary and that our plastic bottled water is "highly" regulated by the FDA and therefor safe. The bottled water is just municipal water that is filtered. It often times though contains very harmful chemicals, mostly chemicals that are leached from the plastic itself that the water is contained in. Things like BPA and Phalates that are endocrine disruptors and act as estrogen in the body. they are now linking these to many serious illnesses we face today. BPA specifically is practically the FDA's dirty little secret. The movie ended with some information on how plastic is effecting the environment and the oceans specifically, how animals are suffering from the plastic we are using. It ends with some information on the successes against water bottles and how you can help.

Dried Mango

For my blog this week in my Environmental Science class we are researching one food we particularly like. I chose dried mangos and dried chili mangos because both are my favorite snacks. My absolute favorite is the Davis Lewis Orchard chili mango slices, this is the product at this site http://www.davislewisorchards.com/chili-mango.html. The mangoes use: Mango, Sugar, Chili, Salt, Citric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide, Color FD&C Yellow 5/6 and originate in Thailand. There is not much information about how it is made or where the products came from besides Thailand. One thing that is a little annoying is how much plastic they use to wrap the tiny amount of mangoes you get in the pack, they should probably find a more Eco-friendly way to package them. They don't really have any nutritional value good or bad, the only thing that may be concerning is the sodium. Another thing that might be concerning is the Sulphur Dioxide and the Color FD&C Yellow 5/6. According to the sources I have read it seems that Sulphur Dioxide would be dangerous to lungs and respiratory systems of a not so healthy person, possibly causing asthma but those who are healthy are not to threatened by small doses of it. Also, the food color FD&C yellow 5/6 is one of the most irritant colors that are out there causing more allergic reactions out of most the colors, this color also may have a link with asthma and maybe even hyperactivity in children when mixed with other compounds but these are still being tested. The dried mangoes without chili I like from Gerrard's but I could not find much information on them like I could the chili mangoes but would thing they are made relatively similar without the chili. I do also notice a difference in the mangoes where Gerrard's taste more like real mangoes as were the Davis chili mangoes taste a little more gelatinous. The mangoes from gerrards are definitely more natural just by taste alone maybe leaving out more unnecessary chemicals?

Food Inc.

I was given the option to watch some movies and read some books to earn Extra Credit for my Environmental Science Class. I watch "Food Inc." for my first movie. It was a horrifying movie. It really makes me angry at the way things are how things are made and how animals and humans are treated in the process. The first segment was primarily about chicken and beef and how it has been made into a factory assembly line instead of a real life event. It was terrifying to me seeing the conditions they were in and their gruesome deaths. One thing that really hurt me was that they modify the chickens to have larger breasts, but in doing so the chickens are so heavy they can't support their own weight. I also was really concerned by the way that our food is fed corn. It interested me when the local farmer made the point that we always ask how are we going to do this instead of why are we doing it. Cows and Chicken never ate corn before we came along so why are we doing it now? On top of that, to think that Ecoli is a direct result of corns reaction inside the animals stomach, which produces a unique atmosphere for this bacteria to grow rapidly in. And besides the cruel treatment of these animals, the corporations are using illegal immigrants to work these factories in VERY dangerous working conditions. If they are caught working there, the companies don't get in trouble but the workers that have been producing our foods for years are getting harsh punishment. I am not saying they shouldn't be in trouble but why are the companies exempt from being put in jail for their actions? There was a section about an organic food event and Wallmart but I wasn't completely understanding why organics were teaming up with these Monster Companies to produce organic foods and it makes me question whether those brands are really organic after the partnership. It then ended with some information on Monsanto and the roundup resistant seeds he created. I have seen videos on him before and it is distressing the way he treats the farmers. I guess the overall idea doesn't feel as overwhelming and terrible as the way the meat was treated and the health risks but the fact that Monsanto can patent something and then use extreme harassment and sneaky tactics against poor local farmers is very sad. This movie did not make me want to eat that processed and modified food anymore when I think about how it relates to my health. After watching this movie it makes me think about if I even cut out most of these things could I have my energy and health back possibly? This movie was very attention grabbing and people need to watch it.

Waste

This week in my Environmental science class we have to write a blog about the waste we produce in a two day period and how we can reduce that waste. In my household, me and my roommate only created about 1/8th of a 13 gallon bag and only 1/2 of a one gallon bag. We virtually use no waste at home really. We aren't huge consumers and most our waste is just wrappings on food. At work between me and my coworkers we created 2 13 gallon bags and 1/2 a 13 gallon bag but the last half is syrup bottles we recycle. A few ways we could reduce waste is to possibly buy a reusable bag for groceries, I however could not do that this week with lack of time and money. We could recycle but we don't really use much plastic bottles, I know I don't drink out of plastic bottles much and I don't drink canned soda or either so we don't have anything to recycle. Going to a farmers market may reduce some waste but I am not to sure it would because they may still put your produce in bags but I have not tried it yet. As for work I don't really have a choice in whether I can reduce waste or not. I work for Starbucks and that is teaming with things that you throw away. We were supposed to then measure two days changing our habits but seeing as I don't make much waste at home there really wasn't anything to change and at work I have to use our products and throw them away. One thing I already did that reduces my waste at work is measuring things in our metal pitchers instead of using paper cups like my coworkers, but I already did that before this assignment. We do also recycle cans and bottles at work as well which is hopefully a little helpful.